Saturday, September 24, 2011

Mentoring

This week a high school senior gave me a note. She was thanking me for being her mentor, though we never entered into a mentoring contract formally. She acknowledge the need for a woman of God to look up to in times like these. She paid me a high complement saying that she has seen me in many situations and that my life brings glory to God. I can only give Him the glory for this. Yet, it got me thinking of the importance of mentoring. There is a great need. Though I believe that God wants us to be engaged with the up-coming generations, I also see that a young woman may be watching you from a far and she is hoping that you two will connect. Sometimes these relationships begin from a far.

Ladies, God is calling us to mentor the younger women around us. It involves looking for a younger woman who needs support and direction, spending time with them, and pouring into their lives. They may be lacking a role model, and you are the one that God is sending to this young woman. It is not as hard as it looks. Some churches have organizations and or women's ministries already set up. If you ask God, He will send you someone. Others volunteer in youth church and look for ways to mentor teens. There are many options.

Some people decide they need a formal program to meet this goal, and there is no problem with that. One can join a Boys and Girls Club or Girls Inc. In fact, these organization can get you involved with teens who are at risk and need divine-intervention. What a meaningful way to make a difference.

Whether a formal program, church, or spontaneous mentoring situation occurs, keep your eyes open at your church, mall, and neighborhood. You have no idea how many girls need your support. Think of all of the lessons you have learned in life. Wouldn't it be awesome to speak into a young woman's life and hopefully, set them on a detour that will bring their life to a healthy and Godly level that you could not imagine. After all, it's all about getting that fruit to grow!

Finally, don't ignore those God moments when you are in public and God gives you a message for a young lady, or He urges you to pray for them. Be obedient and do your part. It takes a village to teach our children one mentor at a time!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

There Is No One Else Just Like You

Let's face it. God made women extremely unique from men. After all, we can cry at the drop of a hat and in the next second, rejoice with the sister sitting beside us. God is good; I thank Him for how He made us.



He didn't stop there making two types of bland creatures: Male and Female. God created each woman and put a special imprint on each one. He knows the number of hairs on your head, and He knows what you will do with your life and calling. He knows how you will respond, and what you will do with what He has put in your hand. In short, we are unique from each other, though we share some of the same common characteristics of the everyday woman. In Psalm 139:13-15, it says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth". This tells me that He put special work into both you and me. You may have heard the old cliche: God does not make junk. Well, I second that! "You were woven together in the depths of the earth" and not through some fast food chain assembly line.


Rejoice in your uniqueness; rejoice in what God created. He knitted you in your mother's womb. He took, for most of my readers, nine months to form you. He has also been superintending in your life and is molding and shaping you as we read. Look in the mirror and remind yourself how special you are!


Praise God! Men are unique too, but that's a whole "nother" entry all by itself!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Honor Her Now

Dear Ladies,

I am writing this entry because we often wait to honor the ones we love until they die. I never want to have something I didn’t say that I wanted to say go unsaid. Though our lives are busy, I stopped time today and said some things I had been prolonging to say. Our women’s leadership team took time to honor Pastor Ladonna Jones for her faithful service as a Section 13 rep, WOW ministry leader, Praise and Worship Director, mentor, servant, and friend. We threw her a gala party-to-remember served up with heaping scoops of love and showers of blessings.



Each lady present shared their favorite women’s ministry memory and their heart with LaDonna. Tracy Tavaroch honored her with a song: Wind Beneath My Wings. Our ministry leader Marcia Wooley came via a DVD message. We fellowshipped and ate together. We hugged and loved on her and prayed for her. We showered her with teacups and chocolate among other gifts! It felt so good to express our love for her in such a unique and creative way. All in all, she was blessed.

I am so glad we took the time to honor her and show her how much we appreciate her.


Why not take the time to think about your pastor’s wife, mother, mentor, etc. Isn’t time you took the time to honor her? Say it while it can be said!

Love,
Illy

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Overflow Equals Harvest



This past Tuesday I spoke at Community Life in Port Charlotte, Florida at a Womens Ministry meeting. The Lord was faithful in giving me a the word that overflow equals harvest. He took me to Isaiah 61 and told me to remind these women that He had given us many gifts and garments to break the cycle of worry. Step four: praise, is key to breaking the cycle!

Once we break the cycle at whatever part in the cycle , we take our thoughts captive, and we get to praise, thanksgiving, and joy; the result is overflow. That we means we get beyond ourselves and our problems. We begin to truly trust God with our problems- no matter how big or small! How else will we get to doing the work of the harvest.

The overlfow spills out to others around us. This overflow brings about harvest if we begin to tell others what God is doing and what He will do as we trust Him. In short, overflow equals harvest.

We have all been commissioned by Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Don't be intimiated by the word preach. Just go out and tell others what God is doing. Your words may bring them out of a miry pit and the sinners prayer is the next step.

If you are interested in reading more about this, below is the book mark that I gave out and the scriptures for that night. Enjoy!

The Bookmark

Breaking the Cycle with
Prayer & Thanksgiving
1. Denial
2. Question
3. Fear & Worry
4. Panic
5. Praise
6. Joy
7. Thankfulness
8. Overflow

Psalm 63:4I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
© Ileana Reich
Harbinger Ministries 2012
Illyguana@hotmail.com

Opening Scriptures:
Isaiah61:1-3- What we have been anointed to do and give

1. John 18:24-26 -Denial- It happens, but we can stop it!
2. Psalm 22:1- Question- It happens, but we can stop it!
3. Psalm 3:6 , Psalms 56:4, and 2 Timothy 1:7 Fear- We don't have to fear!
4. Isaiah 31:1- Panic can make us do all sorts of things!
5. Psalm 42:5, 2nd Samuel 22:1, Psalm 149:3, Psalm 8:2, Psalm 66:17, and Isaiah 61:3- Praise is a powerful decision.
6. Psalm 69:30-Thanksgiving leads to joy
7. Psalm 28:7 and Psalm 95:1- Joy leads to overflow
8. Collissians 2: 6-7- Overflow

Closing Scriptures:
2 Timothy 3:10-17- We are equipped and should do what we have been taught.
Colossians 2:6-7 -Thanksgiving is pertinet to overflow.